Could humans live on Mars? 'Absolutely,' a NASA expert says

Scientists reported Thursday that NASA's Curiosity rover has found potential building blocks of life in an ancient Martian lakebed. Hints have been found before, but this is the best evidence yet. (June 7)
AP

This composite image made from a series of Jan. 23, 2018 photos shows a self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on Vera Rubin Ridge. On Thursday, June 7, 2018, scientists said the rover found potential "building blocks of life" in an ancient lakebed and confirmed seasonal increases in atmospheric methane.(Photo: AP)

"Now, we see Mars is an even better location for having past life," Green said. "It’s just getting better and better."

Mars is more Earth-like than any other planet in the solar system, making it an attractive second option for the human race. There's also a natural beauty on the planet: a grand canyon that measures nearly the entire width of the U.S. and a volcano the size of Arizona.

This composite image made from a series of June 15, 2018 photos shows a self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover in the Gale Crater. The rover's arm which held the camera was positioned out of each of the dozens of shots which make up the mosaic. A dust storm has reduced sunlight and visibility at the rover's location. NASA via AP

An undated handout photo made available by NASA on June 21, 2018 shows a snap photo captured by NASA's Curiosity Rover in June 2018, using its Mast Camera (Mastcam), of intensifying haziness in the surface of Mars, caused by a massive dust storm. The rover was standing inside Gale Crater looking out to the crater rim. NASA via EPA-EFE

This undated photo provided by NASA and taken by an instrument aboard the agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks on the surface of Mars that scientists believe were caused by flowing streams of salty water. Researchers said Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, that the latest observations strongly support the longtime theory that salt water in liquid form flows down certain Martian slopes each summer. University of Arizona via AP

This image provided by NASA shows shows a Martian rock outcrop near the landing site of the rover Curiosity thought to be the site of an ancient streambed. Curiosity landed in a crater near Mars' equator on Aug. 5, 2012. AP

These dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars are inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water. Recently, planetary scientists detected hydrated salts on these slopes at Hale crater, corroborating their original hypothesis that the streaks are indeed formed by liquid water. The blue color seen upslope of the dark streaks are thought not to be related to their formation, but instead are from the presence of the mineral pyroxene. The image is produced by draping an orthorectified (Infrared-Red-Blue/Green(IRB)) false color image (ESP_030570_1440) on a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the same site produced by High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (University of Arizona). Vertical exaggeration is 1.5.
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona University of Arizona via NASA

These dark, narrow, 100-meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae flowing downhill on Mars are inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water. Recently, planetary scientists detected hydrated salts on these slopes at Horowitz crater, corroborating their original hypothesis that the streaks are indeed formed by liquid water. NASA

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

The planet could offer humans a "brand new life with brand new vistas," Green said.

The plan is to send someone to the planet by 2040. But that's dependent on quite a few factors.

Here are some obstacles, outlined by Green:

We have to land. Right now, NASA is able to land a 1-ton vehicle on the surface of Mars. For a human to land, it would need to park about 10 tons on the surface. That vehicle would also need to land with precision — mainly not mountains or hills or rocks.

We would need to blast off from Mars. It's not a one-way ticket, at least right now. That's why NASA is working on a Mars 2020 rover. "Sometime in the next decade, we plan to blast off the surface of Mars and return."

We would need to wear spacesuits — all the time. Weather on Mars is extreme. The difference between Monday and Tuesday could be 170 degrees. The average temperature is well below zero. The air is also largely carbon dioxide — good for planets, bad for people.

We'd have to get used to dust storms. About every 26 months, it's summer on Mars, meaning prime dust storm season. These storms, made up of fine dust that gets caught in the atmosphere, can darken daylight to a twilight stage and last months.

We need to build an entire infrastructure. "The people that would go there are real pioneers," Green said. The first humans on Mars would need to farm and establish a food source. Scientists believe beans, asparagus and potatoes are viable crops for soil there. Homes would also need to be built. Green said 3D printers might be able to use dust on the planet to create habitats.